The results of the work of the Roscongress International Business Communication Zone at SPIEF 2026 have been summed up

The Roscongress International Business Communication Zone has completed its work at the XXIX St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Throughout the days of the Forum, it functioned as an effective and dynamic ecosystem for international dialogue: 18 thematic events, more than 100 bilateral meetings, and 30 new cooperation agreements – all with the participation of representatives from Russia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Western hemisphere.

This year, the Zone has combined partner stands, meeting rooms, an outdoor lounge area, a presentation area and a TV BRICS studio. The partners were the Russia–ASEAN Business Council; the Russian-Thai Business Council; the International Media Network TV BRICS; a collective stand of business organizations in Tanzania, including the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA), the Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB), the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade), and Air Tanzania.

"The Roscongress International Business Communication Zone is a clear embodiment of our approach to international cooperation: direct dialogue and real results. Here, in Pavilion E of the Expoforum Exhibition Center, we have created a working ecosystem for honest and productive communication between Russian businesses, regions and foreign partners. Our goal is contracts, joint projects, and access to new markets. At SPIEF 2026, the stands of our good partners, with whom we have already implemented a series of initiatives, were presented in the Roscongress International Business Communication Zone: the Russia-ASEAN Business Council, the Russian–Thai Business Council, the TV BRICS International Media Network, and the collective stand of business organizations in Tanzania. And next to it were the national stands of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Saudi Arabia, the SPIEF 2026 guest country. This proves that Russia is open to equal dialogue, and the SPIEF is the assembly point where equal dialogue becomes a working tool," said Alexander Stuglev, Chairman of the Board and Director of the Roscongress Foundation.

18 business events were held at the site. Among them are thematic dialogues and presentations covering a wide range of areas (investment cooperation, industrial transformation, falcon diplomacy, human capital development, interregional cooperation within the EAEU, the African agenda, cooperation between Russia and ASEAN countries, cooperation between Russia and China, cultural initiatives, etc.), as well as signing ceremonies. cooperation agreements and industry meetings in the "business for business" format. During the work of the Zone, special attention was paid to the regions of the Russian Federation and the promotion of their economic and investment potential on the external circuit.

The geography of the speakers and panelists at the business events of the Zone included representatives of the following countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, India, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Tanzania, Germany, Italy, the USA and many others.

On June 3, a solemn opening ceremony of the new office of the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce (VTB) took place here. The ceremony was moderated by Matthias Schepp, Chairman of the Board of VTB. The event was attended by Alexander Stuglev, Chairman of the Management Board and Director of the Roscongress Foundation, Denis Tyupyshev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, and Anna Solovyova, Managing Director of the Department for International Bilateral Cooperation of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. The event proved the interest of the German business in continuing to operate in the Russian market, despite the existing geopolitical difficulties.

The youth agenda of the Roscongress International Business Communication Zone at SPIEF 2026 was reflected in two exclusive TED Talk meetings for participants of the SPIEF Academy and Tochka Junior projects. They were addressed by Steven Seagal, an American actor, film producer, screenwriter, film director, special representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for Russian-American humanitarian relations and common cultural and historical heritage, as well as Stephen Mao, an American actor and film director, president of the Mao Studio.

At the site of the Roscongress International Business Communication Zone, it was signed
There are more than 30 cooperation agreements between the Roscongress Foundation and Russian and foreign organizations – business associations, chambers of commerce, educational institutions, development institutes, and regions of the Russian Federation. An important event was the signing of an agreement between the Roscongress Foundation and the Tanzania Office for Investments and Special Economic Zones (TISEZA). The ceremony was held as part of the Russia-Tanzania Business Dialogue in the presence of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan. In addition, a solemn ceremony was held at the Roscongress International Business Communication Area at SPIEF 2026 to present the Roscongress Foundation with Russia's first "Event Standard" certificate from Roskachestvo, confirming the compliance of the Foundation's convention and exhibition activities with the highest quality criteria.

Throughout the Forum, the TV BRICS studio operated here, where more than 25 interviews with SPIEF 2026 participants were recorded. Among them are First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Daniyar Amangeldiev, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Sberbank Alexander Vedyakhin, Rector of GITIS Grigory Zaslavsky, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum Philip Mshelbila, Executive Director of the APEC secretariat Eduardo Pedrosa, Coordinating Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of Indonesia Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and others.

The Roscongress International business communication zone has become a point of attraction for the international agenda of small and medium-sized enterprises. A meeting of Russian and foreign SME companies took place here (about 60 participants from Russia, the UAE, China, India, Côte d'Ivoire, Brazil). Negotiations were held in six sectors: agriculture, food, medicine and pharmaceuticals, technology, artificial intelligence. Guided tours of the SPIEF 2026 exhibition space were also organized for SME delegations, including a tour for foreign SMEs and a tour with the participation of UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdullah bin Tuk Al Marri.

The Roscongress International Business Communication Zone at SPIEF 2026 was visited by representatives of government agencies, international organizations and business circles, including: Allan Majuru, Director General of the Zimbabwe Trade Development and Promotion Organization (ZimTrade), Monica Mutsvanga, Minister of Women, Communities, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of Zimbabwe, Minister of Energy and Energy Development Zimbabwe July Moyo, Senior Official of the APEC Forum Chen Xu, Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Haitham Al–Gais, Executive Director of the APEC secretariat Eduardo Pedrosa, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Philip Mshelbila, Director of the Department of Partnership with Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Tatiana Dovgalenko, Abdallahi Suleiman Sheikh-Sidia, Minister of Economy and Development of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, and many others.

The key event of the Roscongress International Business program was a meeting between the Roscongress Foundation's management and regional partners, during which the Roscongress International Partners Community concept was presented, aimed at transforming the Roscongress Foundation's international partner network into a dynamic community based on trust and mutual benefit. Alexander Stuglev, Chairman of the Management Board and Director of the Roscongress Foundation, delivered a welcoming speech. During her speech, Alexandra Ogneva, Deputy Director and Head of the Directorate for International and Regional Cooperation at the Roscongress Foundation, summed up the results of the joint work for 2024-2025. The experience of cooperation was shared by such regional partners of the Roscongress Foundation as Antonio Fallico, President of the Let's Explore Eurasia Association, Zhou Lijun, Chairman of the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia, Pankaj Singh, Director for Russia and the CIS of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (FICCI), Ivan Polyakov, Chairman of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council, Chairman of the International Media Network TV BRICS. Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry and official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, became the guest of honor at the meeting.